Ruth Kelly is in the news this week. She’s sent one of her children to a 15 grand a year private school ‘on professional advice’ because he has ‘special needs’. That’s the same Ruth Kelly who was the Labour Education Minister. That’s the same Ruth Kelly who, as part of the government, was responsible for closing some 91 special needs schools in their bid to create an even better education system (nothing to do with saving money). This is another government minister sending their kids to a private school; if it’s OK for Big Tony, it’s no wonder Mz Kelly and Abbott et al are following suit.

So the minister responsible for education realises that the state education system is of no use to her child and only a private school can provide for their needs. Her supporters including Tony Blair support her right to ‘do the best’ for their children. Sadly, the vast majority of other parents with children of equal or more severe special needs can’t afford £15,000 to get their kids into a better system nor can they avoid the endless hoop-jumping it takes t get a child statemented for extra support as Kelly can.

If this isn’t an example of a confession of mismanagement & failure by a government, I don’t know what is. (And I’m a Labour supporter!)